Australian-born Mike Haysman, who played twice for Australia in Youth Tests, was a right-hand batsman who made an good early impression with South Australia, hitting 126 in his first first-class innings against Queensland at Adelaide in 1982-83 and following with 153 against Victoria later that summer. He ended with 684 runs at 57.00, and maintained that form in the next two seasons, in between spending one summer with Leicestershire where he again scored a hundred on debut. In 1985-86 he was chosen for the rebel Australian tour of South Africa, where he struggled, but the following season in the next rebel series he came good, slamming hundreds against South Africa in successive unofficial Tests and being named one of South Africa's Cricketers of the Year. He played one more summer with South Australia in 1987-88 before emigrating to South Africa and throwing in his lot with Northern Transvaal. He scored consistently for them, although he form fell away before he retired at the end of 1993-94. After retirement he moved seamlessly into the media and soon established himself as a popular, if sometimes outspoken, commentator.
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